AMBULANCE WORK.

Clutha Leader, Volume XX, Issue 1036, 1 June 1894, Page 5

AMBULANCE WORK.

The Hon. the Premier and Mrs Seddon were present at the annual meeting of the St. John Ambulance Association, Dunedin, on Monday evening. Mrs Seddon presented the certificates to those who were qualified to receive them. The Premier delivered an address on the occasion, in the course of which be strongly eulogised the work of the association, saying that there jvas no work so noble, so good, so necessary, as that in which the association was engaged. Speaking as an experienced miner, and one for many years engaged in mining operations, he said it would be well, and many valuable lives would have been saved in the mining districts, if there bad been someone near such as had received certificates that night at the hands of his good wife. "Whilst they had their mining manager's certificates, and whilst they had all sorts of stipulations with regard to ensuring the safety of the lives of the miners, it would be a good thing if a condition were inserted giving a preference to those who held certificates from that Assosiation or other similar associations in other parts of the colony. He would consult with the Minister of Mines with a view to something being clone in this direction. He would also advise the Eailway Commissioners to have the guards' vans provided with ambulance appliances, which be considered was necessary in case of railway accidents. He also thought the police should have some training in first aid. • He explainned that the police were drafted from the Permanent Artillery, and the Permanent Artillery were taken from the volunteer corps. Now, as Minister of Defence he had many more applications for enrolment in the Permanent Artillery and in the Torpedo Corps than there were positions for. Therefore he certainly said to them there that night that so long as he was Minister of Defence he should give a preference to those young men who were seeking enrolment in the Permanent Artillery or the Torpedo Corps who held a certificate from the Association.